One such case includes the rise in cases of a flesh-eating bacteria infecting people visiting the Gulf Coast region, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. Despite what its name suggests, the flesh-eating bacteria, called vibrio vulnificus, does not actually eat flesh. Instead, the microorganism releases a toxin that destroys the surrounding tissue. Once infected, the bacteria begins to destroy the victim’s tissue at a rapid pace. As a result, amputation is often required to save the infected patient.

While the cause of the rise in vibrio vulnificus cases is still widely disputed, many have linked the phenomenon to the Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010.

Jocko Angle, a survivor of the virus, shares a similar theory. “I think the oil in the water, combined with the chemicals they used, created the perfect environment for Vibrio to thrive,” said Angle. Since his battle with the virus 3 years ago, Angle created a Facebook page called Vibrio Along the Gulf Coast to provide local residents and victims with a place to share stories and information.

Typically, the vibrio vulnificus microorganism is a water-born bug that thrives in semi-salty standing water. Despite this, the bacteria can often travel to and temporarily infect other areas, with the help of events such as rainfall, freshwater release and low tides.

Once infected, patients will start experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, chills, fever, sepsis and skin lesions. Shortly after the onset of such violent symptoms, the patient will need to seek immediate medical assistance to reduce the risk of death.

While there is not currently any scientific evidence supporting the widely accepted link between the rise in vibrio vulnificus cases and the Deepwater Horizon spill, new research suggests climate change may be playing a primary role. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, linked rising sea temperatures with the increase of the Vibrio over a 50-year period.

“We were able to show a doubling, tripling—in some cases quadrupling—of the Vibrio over that 50-year period,” says Rita Colwell, one of the study’s lead authors. These findings, once again, highlight the devastating effect of climate change, and could easily be considered an early warning about the direct effects this phenomenon could have on the human race.

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